Southern Literature
English 3369.01
 
Fall 2008
Class meets in PUMC 217 at 12:00 MW

Instructor: Dr. Linda Carroll
Office: PUMC 251

Office Hours:
Office: M 9:30am-12:30am
Office: T/TH 12:30-3:00pm
ARC: W 10::00-11:00am
Office: W 11:00am-1:00pm
Phone: 817-531-7580

Email: lcarroll@txwes.edu

http://department.txwes.edu/lnl/lcarroll/

http://www.storysouth.com/resources.html

 

"While the South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted."  Flannery O'Connor

Syllabus as Guide:

This course syllabus is intended to provide students in English 3369 with basic information concerning the course.  This syllabus can be viewed as a “blueprint” for the course; changes in the syllabus may be made, but students will be informed of any substantial changes concerning examinations, grading or attendance policies, or project assignments. 

Course Description: 

English 3369 is a junior level literature course.  The course examines selected key poets, dramatists, novelists, eras, genres, and movements popular in the south from the southern renaissance to contemporary times.  Prerequisite: English 1301, English 1302, and 3 hours of sophomore literature. 

Course Objectives:

The following objectives will be the focus of each reading assignment, class discussion, and examination.

1.      To allow each student to explore his/her heritage by studying selected works of southern literature.

2.      To expand each student’s vocabulary of literary terms, with a special emphasis on terms relevant to the study of American literature in general and southern literature in particular.

3.      To develop each student’s critical reading skills so that he/she can better understand and appreciate literature in general and southern literature in particular.

4.      To explore the interrelationship of history, politics, philosophy, and literature--with an emphasis on the evolution of the southern culture.

5.      To encourage each student to read for pleasure and knowledge.

6.      To continue to develop the student’s ability to write. 

Required Texts:

Disheroon-Greeen, Suzanne, et al.  Voices of the American South.  New York: Pearson/Longman, 2005.

Faulkner, William.  The Sound and the Fury

Smith, Lee.  Fair and Tender Ladies

Instructional Method:

My pedagogical approach includes a variety of instructional methods: discussion, lecture, collaborative presentations, Socratic questioning, films and recordings, etc.  I expect all literary selections to be read by assigned due date.   

Assignments:

To successfully complete this course, you must read all assigned material, participate in class discussions, take two opportunities (exams), give two oral presentations over criticism, keep a literary portfolio via WebCT, and complete one term project. You will be called on from time-to-time to read orally to the rest of the class.  Each opportunity (exam) will be a mixture of objective questions and essay questions.  I may assign essay questions to be written at home and administer the objective portion in class. 

Oral reports:

Each student will be required to report on two criticisms from scholarly journals.  An abstract of each critical essay should be provided each student in the class (maximum of one page per abstract).  Maximum time allocated for each report is 7-10 minutes; therefore, the presenter’s work must be well organized and well focused.  During the first class period, you will select author and literary pieces with which you wish to work.   Dates for presentations will depend on authors and literary pieces selected.  You must give a one or two sentence summary of writer’s biography when you give your abstract presentation.

 

Literary Portfolio:

For each reading assignment, students will write a short initial analyze of the piece, which must be posted prior to class time in which that selection will be discussed.  These responses will be posted on WebCT, and will be scored at the end of the week in which they are posted.  Students will maintain their responses and scores in a portfolio that will be submitted at the end of the semester.

 

Term Project:

The term project may be one of three types: the traditional research paper over any literary selection in the syllabus; or five abstracts on any five critical essays about any one literary selection in this syllabus; or a critique/reaction to any one literary selection not included in this syllabus.  In each case, the minimum length is 5 double-spaced typed pages, which will conform to the latest MLA style.  Before beginning work on the term project, each student must get the instructor’s approval of selected approach and topic.  NO PAPER WILL BE ACCEPTED UNLESS IT IS PRE-APPROVED. 
Deadline for approval:. 
Due date:

 For assistance with the term project, consult a handbook or the MLA handbook.

A short guide is provided below for each type of project; however, the instructor will review these approaches in class.  Students are encouraged to speak with the instructor individually if further clarification is needed.

 

  1. For the traditional research paper option, a topic that can be handled in 6+ papers should be selected. This assignment requires strong argument with detailed proof for the claim (thesis).  The goal of the paper is to support the claim with evidence from the text and from a minimum of five outside sources.  Topics must be approved because some topics (such as those that are purely biographical) are not suitable for this assignment.

 

  1. For the abstracts option, six critical articles (selected from scholarly journals) must be read and summarized, a single page per article.  NOTE that length is very important in this selection.  If it takes more than one page to summarize the essence of the article, then the assignment is not being followed and the score will be lowered.  This assignment requires careful synthesis of critical articles.  Photocopies of the eight articles will be turned in with the abstracts.  You may not submit the same articles that you present for your oral presentations.  Sample Abstract.

 

  1. For the critique option, one selection (not assigned) from the textbook is analyzed in detail.  If working with a fictional piece, this option requires careful critical assessment of the theme, setting, plot, character, or style.  If poetry is selected, an explication is required for style is examined in detail, for example, rhyme scheme, poetic devices used, etc.  Examination of a critical work in a scholarly journal will prove to be a good guide to the type of critical examination expected. 

Grade Assessment:

The two opportunities, the literary journal, and the two oral presentations with abstracts are worth 100 points each.  The term project is worth 125; and participation, which includes preparedness, is worth 25 points.  Therefore, you can earn up to 650 points.  To earn an A, you will need 595-650 points; for a B, 520-594 points; for a C, 455-519 points, for a D, 390-454 points.  Achieving less than 389 points will result in an F.  Important note: students who do not complete a term project will not pass, regardless of what the total points are. 

 

Absences will affect the course grade; see information below.  Addition points available: during each class period you may be given an opportunity to write short responses to questions about the selections being discussed.  These points will be added or subtracted from the total.  These writing exercises count toward your participation grade. 

Student Responsibilities:

Because this course spans only five weeks, students must accept the following responsibilities:

1.   To ask for help when needed.

2.   To attend class regularly.  If students do miss class, they must, nonetheless, be prepared for the next class session and must have completed any work missed during their absence.

3.   To turn in out-of-class assignments on time and in the format designated by the instructor.

4.   To read the assigned textbook selections before class and to be prepared to discuss them.

5.   To participate in class discussion and to read aloud when requested to do so.

6.   To make a friend in class so that notes and assignments can be exchanged.

7.   NOT to expect the instructor to repeat a lecture given during an absence. 

 

Important Note about Submission of Work:
You must complete and turn in all assignments, major and minor, in the order in which they are assigned, to pass this class.  All documents must be turned in on the designated date.  If you do not have major assignments ready when class begins, you will lose 10 points from your grade; if you submit an assignment one calendar day late, you will lose 20 points, if you submit an assignment two calendar days late, you will lose 30 points.  This instructor will not accept any assignments submitted after the third calendar day.  Extensive experience substantiates the reality that you attend class regularly, maintain assignments, follow guidelines and deadlines set forth for each assignment, you will have few situations that prevent on-time delivery of assignments.  The Term Project WILL NOT be accepted late.

Absence and Tardy Policy:

Enrollment in this class suggests a commitment to learning.  Attending class is important in that endeavor; moreover, the study of literature is a participatory event.  When you miss class, you also miss discussions about the reading selections, an interchange of ideas, and the enjoyment of sharing your perspective of written work.  I view attendance as vital; therefore, in compliance with Wesleyan policy, as indicate on page 98 of the catalog, because this class meets only two times a week, if you miss class three times, I can and will drop you on the fourth absence.

 

If you are absent, you must still be prepared for the next class session. No student should call me to find out if “we did anything important in class.”  If it becomes necessary to miss class, you must check with another reliable student who was present because you will need class notes.  I will not reteach missed information.
 

Because tardies are disruptive, three tardies (student arrives after roll has been checked) constitute one absence.  Therefore, nine tardies constitute three absences.  If you are tardy, it is your responsibility to see me after class to change the absence to a tardy.

 

Bonus for good attendance: IF you do not miss or come late to class, you will earn 2 points to be added to your final points.  For example, if your semester average is 78 but you has perfect attendance (no absences or tardies), your total with these bonus points added will be 80, the difference between a B and a C; thus, you would earn a higher grade for perfect attendance.

Academic Integrity:
Although our University Catalog addresses academic integrity, which includes cheating and plagiarism, I would like to emphasize the importance of academic integrity as we begin this new semester. 

Please note that academic integrity is important in this course precisely because integrity is important in all areas of life.  If we don’t have integrity in the small things, if we find it possible to justify plagiarism or cheating or shoddy work in things that don’t seem to matter, how will we resist doing the same thing in areas that really do matter: where lives might be at stake (think about a doctor who cheated his/her way through college or medical school), where money may be a factor, or the possibility of advancement, or even our esteem in the eyes of others? 

 

Personal integrity is not a quality we’re born to naturally.  It’s a quality of character we need to nurture, and that requires practice in both meanings of the word (as in the practice the piano and to practice a profession).  We can only be a person of integrity if we practice integrity every day.  To discover what that means in this course, please refer to http://department.txwes.edu/lnl/lcarroll/integrity.htm for a more detailed statement.  You will discover that integrity requires the same things of me as a teacher as it does of you as a student.

 

A final note, if you decide after reading my statement to not practice academic integrity, you will pay the ultimate price in this class: an F in the course and a recommendation to the Dean that you be suspended from this university. 

Texas Wesleyan Policies:

Students should read the current Texas Wesleyan University Catalog and Student Handbook to become familiar with University policies.  These policies include but are not limited to grade appeal, sexual harassment, student access to records, and others; policies specified in the current catalog are applicable unless otherwise stated in this syllabus. 

 

Texas Wesleyan adheres to a disability policy in keeping with relevant federal law.  The University will provide appropriate accommodation.  Students must notify instructors of any permanent or temporary disability and must provide documentation regarding those disabilities prior to the granting of an accommodation.  For assistance, students should consult with the Counseling Center.

 

Drop Policy:

Because each student spent hard earned money to pay the tuition for this course, this instructor assumes that each student intends to complete the semester; however, if any student finds that he/she do so, he/she must officially drop the course.  Failure to do so will result in grade earned, most likely an F.